The Ladies

The Ladies

There are moments in the studio when a new direction begins to form, and you can feel it in your hands before you have words for it. Recently, that’s exactly what happened as I began creating a mixed media portrait series. Five women appeared through layers of paint, collage, and texture — each with her own quiet presence and story. This collection brings together my love of color, pattern, and expressive female portrait art, while honoring the materials and memories that have shaped my creative journey over time.

Today, I’d love to introduce you to them.

Over the past few weeks, these women — Dorothy, Maude, Esther, Muriel, and Ellamae — emerged in my studio almost before I realized a series had begun. Their roots reach back decades. Many of the collage elements were created more than twenty years ago, tucked away because they felt meaningful even then. Around the same time, I started collecting vintage jewelry pieces — little treasures that held history and story, waiting for their moment.

I’ve also carried the desire to draw faces for years. It took time, exploration, and a return to myself before they were ready to appear. And when they did, everything clicked: the old collage papers, the jewelry, the color palettes, and the faces that finally felt ready to be seen.

This mixed media portrait series is the result of past and present converging — memory meeting creative curiosity. These women feel familiar, like companions I’ve known all along. And now, they’re ready to meet you, too.

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